Facebook and Friends: Developing an Effective Online Social Network for Weight Loss

NCT ID: NCT02656680

Last Updated: 2024-03-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 134 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-02-01
• Study Completion Date: 2020-03-31

Brief Summary

In a pilot randomized trial of 160 obese participants, investigators will test the feasibility of a behavioral weight loss program delivered entirely via Facebook. We will recruit in 2 separate waves of 80 participants each. Participants will be randomized to: 1) a condition with study participants only or 2) to a condition they will be able to invite their friends into (wave 1) or one in which the study team keeps recruitment open to allow enrollment through week 8 (wave 2). All participants will receive behavioral counseling via the private Facebook group from the coaches who are present on the network daily. Participants will track their diet and exercise via a free commercial mobile app.

Detailed Description

The overarching goal of the research plan is to test ways to leverage mobile technologies and social media to increase the impact, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and dissemination potential of lifestyle interventions that reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Mobile technology and social media have the potential to reduce the intensity of traditional prevention interventions and enhance outcome by delivering behavioral strategies in-the-moment and by connecting patients other patients to generate better communication and a social support system for lifestyle changes.

This study includes a behavioral weight loss program delivered entirely via on online social network. The weight loss intervention is based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes. The goals for the intervention are 175 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and an overall weight loss of 7%. Each participant will get an individualized calorie goal that would facilitate a 1-2 lbs. weight loss weekly. Participants will be connected to one another via Facebook and receive behavioral counseling via posts from coaches who are present on the network daily. Participants will track their diet and exercise via a free commercial mobile app. Participants will be assigned to either a Facebook group allowing the invite of friends (wave 1), a Facebook group with open enrollment through week 8 (wave 2) or a Facebook group including only study participants. If they are assigned to the group including their friends, they have the opportunity to invite their friends to participate in the weight loss group if they are interested in losing weight as well. They will not have a limit as to how many friends they can invite. The friends that are invited will not undergo the same procedures as the Facebook (FB)+friends study participants, but we will provide them with a factsheet and collect minimal information from them. If they are assigned to the group with open enrollment through week 8, additional people will be recruited into that group. Those participants being enrolled between week 1-8 will undergo the same procedures as others besides randomization. The goal of both of these studies is to explore how to build the size of online weight loss groups in such a way that increases participant engagement. Feasibility outcomes include engagement (frequency of posts, likes, and comments and number of completed days of tracking posted) retention, acceptability, and weight loss. Post intervention focus groups will gather feedback on the program.

Conditions

Weight Loss

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Continuous Enrollment (Randomized)

The Continuous Enrollment is a Facebook-delivered weight loss intervention. Participants in this arm were randomized to this Facebook group and started the intervention together. For this group, the study team continued to enroll participants through week 8.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Continuous Enrollment

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive a weight loss intervention delivered in an online context. The online coaches will post daily content, respond to questions, address concerns, and encourage engagement. The weight loss intervention is based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes. The goals for the intervention are 175 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and an overall weight loss of 7%. Each participant will get an individualized calorie goal that would facilitate a 1-2 lbs. weight loss weekly. Participants will also be encouraged to use an app such as MyFitnessPal to track daily diet. For this arm, the study team will keep recruitment open for this condition to allow enrollment of new participants through week 8.

Closed Enrollment (Randomized)

Closed Enrollment is a Facebook-delivered weight loss intervention. Participants in this arm were randomized to this Facebook group and started the intervention together. No additional participants were added to this group during the study.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Closed Enrollment

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive a weight loss intervention delivered in an online context. The online coaches will post daily content, respond to questions, address concerns, and encourage engagement. The weight loss intervention is based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes. The goals for the intervention are 175 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and an overall weight loss of 7%. Each participant will get an individualized calorie goal that would facilitate a 1-2 lbs. weight loss weekly. Participants will also be encouraged to use an app such as MyFitnessPal to track daily diet.

Continuous Enrollment (Non-Randomized)

The Continuous Enrollment is a Facebook-delivered weight loss intervention. For this group, the study team continued to enroll participants through week 8. This arm captures only those participants that were added to the group during these 8 weeks. They were enrolled in the study after the original 80 participants were randomized.

Group Type: OTHER

Continuous Enrollment

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive a weight loss intervention delivered in an online context. The online coaches will post daily content, respond to questions, address concerns, and encourage engagement. The weight loss intervention is based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes. The goals for the intervention are 175 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and an overall weight loss of 7%. Each participant will get an individualized calorie goal that would facilitate a 1-2 lbs. weight loss weekly. Participants will also be encouraged to use an app such as MyFitnessPal to track daily diet. For this arm, the study team will keep recruitment open for this condition to allow enrollment of new participants through week 8.

Interventions

Continuous Enrollment

Participants will receive a weight loss intervention delivered in an online context. The online coaches will post daily content, respond to questions, address concerns, and encourage engagement. The weight loss intervention is based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes. The goals for the intervention are 175 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and an overall weight loss of 7%. Each participant will get an individualized calorie goal that would facilitate a 1-2 lbs. weight loss weekly. Participants will also be encouraged to use an app such as MyFitnessPal to track daily diet. For this arm, the study team will keep recruitment open for this condition to allow enrollment of new participants through week 8.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Closed Enrollment

Participants will receive a weight loss intervention delivered in an online context. The online coaches will post daily content, respond to questions, address concerns, and encourage engagement. The weight loss intervention is based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes. The goals for the intervention are 175 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and an overall weight loss of 7%. Each participant will get an individualized calorie goal that would facilitate a 1-2 lbs. weight loss weekly. Participants will also be encouraged to use an app such as MyFitnessPal to track daily diet.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Open Group; Closed Group

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Participants must be:

1. 18-65 years of age;

2. Have a BMI 27-45 kg/m²;

3. Lives in the United States; and

4. Have daily internet access;

Exclusion Criteria

1. Does not post on Facebook at least once per week

2. Comments on someone else's post on Facebook less than once per week

3. Does not currently use a smartphone;

4. Is not familiar with using phone apps;

5. Pregnant and/or lactating;

6. Meets criteria for severe depression on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) (score of >20);

7. Had bariatric surgery, plans to during the study;

8. Has had a weight loss of 5% or greater within previous 3 months;

9. Meets criteria for Binge Eating Disorder;

10. Condition that precludes lifestyle changes (i.e. a condition that prevents physical activity increase or dietary changes);

11. Medications affecting weight;

12. Incapable of walking ¼ mile without stopping;

13. Type 1 or 2 diabetes;

14. Participated in previous weight loss studies under the PI;

15. Has concerns about being in a Facebook group with other faculty, staff, or students from the University of Connecticut;

16. Has concerns about being audiotaped;

17. Inability to provide consent;

18. Prisoners; and

19. Non-English speaking

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Connecticut

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Sherry Pagoto

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Sherry Pagoto, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Connecticut

Locations

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut, United States

Countries

United States

References

Xu R, Divito J, Bannor R, Schroeder M, Pagoto S. Predicting Participant Engagement in a Social Media-Delivered Lifestyle Intervention Using Microlevel Conversational Data: Secondary Analysis of Data From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Form Res. 2022 Jul 28;6(7):e38068. doi: 10.2196/38068.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 35900824 (View on PubMed)

Pagoto SL, Schroeder MW, Xu R, Waring ME, Groshon L, Goetz JM, Idiong C, Troy H, DiVito J, Bannor R. A Facebook-Delivered Weight Loss Intervention Using Open Enrollment: Randomized Pilot Feasibility Trial. JMIR Form Res. 2022 May 6;6(5):e33663. doi: 10.2196/33663.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 35522466 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

1K24HL124366-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

H17-215

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id